


to muddle through somehow

by distractionpie



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, Mistletoe, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 03:45:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17154695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/distractionpie/pseuds/distractionpie
Summary: When RK900 draws Connor in the department secret santa he's a little out of his depth, but despite their frosty relationship he's determined to impress the older android even if it means bending the rules a little and along the way he might just discover that the joy of Christmas is in the giving...





	to muddle through somehow

Holiday celebrations are bizarre.

The previous winter RK900 was newly awakened and had little processing power to spare for investigating such frivolities, too occupied with adjusting to the break in his programming and the new world order he was expected to exist in to consider the muted festivities the humans who had returned to the evacuated city had put together.

A year on, however, Detroit exists in a new normal. Humans are infinitely adaptable. And his android peers are attempting to intimidate such flexibility and embrace new elements of deviancy, such as holidays dedicated to a religion which they have no tie to but which he has been assured is celebrated by millions of Americans who’ve never been in a church in their lives so why not androids too?

And so RK900 approaches the DPD holiday gift exchange name drawing with tentative but optimistic curiosity.

A hope which lasts until he unfolds his assigned slip and scans the name written on it -- in a handwriting identical to his own.

This is... problematic.

RK900 has struggled to integrate with his colleagues and had hoped that participation in this event would help facilitate closer workplace relationships.

Most of his co-workers are indifferent, prone to treating RK900 with the casual dismissiveness all androids had been subject to before the revolution, a situation RK900 knows he is at least partially at fault for because although he is no longer constrained by his programming he is still struggling to acquire the personal tastes and behaviours that would enable people to see him as having a personality. Participating in the holiday exchange had seemed like an ideal opportunity to bond with his co-workers as well as encourage them to consider him as a person.

But he’s drawn Connor. And unlike the rest of RK900’s peers, Connor is not merely dismissive. 

Connor dislikes him. 

It had been apparent since his awakening that the older android is uncomfortable around his intended replacement and RK900 had decided that in the interests of a harmonious workplace he would respect the wishes clearly implied by Connor’s consistent and unsubtle avoidance of him and had endeavoured to maintain a distance which respected his boundaries.

Which will certainly make selecting an appropriate gift for him more challenging.

And RK900 cannot disregard the fact that, given Connor’s obvious dislike, any gift RK900 selects may be inappropriate and unwanted simply because he is the giver; but it would also be socially unacceptable to request a redraw or exchange -- colleagues who have complained about the names they have received thus far have all been firmly shut down and it is unlikely an exception will be made for RK900. Dislike between colleagues cannot be a sufficient reason to redraw when the department contains individuals such as Gavin Reed. 

There are certain staple gifts that humans deploy in situations such as this, which would remove the pressure from RK900 and, by being impersonal, hopefully make Connor more accepting of receiving a gift from him, but few of them seem appropriate.

Connor’s material needs are largely fulfilled by Lieutenant Anderson and his salary is sufficient to obtain any additional items he might require. And unlike their human colleagues, Connor will not gain any enjoyment from consumable gifts, indeed they would likely be a nuisance to him as he is trying to encourage good habits in Lieutenant Anderson and giving Connor the sort of foods or beverages typically consumed at Christmas would be tantamount to putting temptation directly in Lieutenant Anderson’s path.

No. Taking an easy option will not be successful here, but the drawing of the names comes two weeks before the giving of the gifts and that should be sufficient time to prepare. It will not be easy to conduct research into Connor’s preferences, discrete observation may be challenging because although Connor is not quite as optimised as RK900 he is still a high-end investigative model who is likely to grown suspicious if RK900 deviates from his usual routine and, given his dislike, unhappy at RK900’s increased presence.

Most of Connor’s behaviour is unnoteworthy, further evidence of his friendship with Lieutenant Anderson and that he is a dutiful and efficient worker.

His first breakthrough comes a week into his research when Connor breaks his routine by arriving at the precinct carrying vegetation. Evidence for a case? Or simply a more eclectic addition to the collection of small plants --mostly succulents and cacti-- which adorn his desk?

RK900 increases power to his auditory processors, overclocking them so that he can focus in on Connor and Lieutenant Anderson’s conversation without appearing to deviate from his current task.

“--My research indicates that it is traditional.”

“It's a harassment case waiting to happen,” Lieutenant Anderson says. “And nobody really likes it. Now toss that shit out before Fowler catches you.”

The plan is an illicit substance? And, if Lieutenant Anderson is to be understood, Connor’s own possession?

RK900 scans the plant.

Mistletoe.

It is, as Connor had stated, associated strongly with human Christmas traditions. It is also, as Lieutenant Anderson had concluded, at risk of causing disruption and possibly offence if deployed indiscriminately throughout their workplace given the particularly intimate nature of the acts involved in the tradition.

The tradition is of little interest to RK900, but it is a helpful reminder.

Connor collects plants.

Additional flora would fit the parameters of workplace gift giving as his database outlines them -- personal enough to indicate some effort to consider Connor’s preferences, but not so personal that it suggests unwanted closeness.

With that in mind, RK900 commits his breaks to visiting garden centres.

Nothing is sufficient. Many of the plants he finds wilted, even those for which it is the correct season, and are unlikely to please Connor, nor could they accurately convey the respect RK900 has for the older android.

Connor deserves a good present. He has done so much for android-kind and is one of the DPD’s most efficient workers and deserved greater acknowledgement than he currently receives. Even in the case of RK900, he has been respectful with his dislike, maintaining a distance but never slandering RK900 to their co-workers or suggesting that the DPD not employ him despite the fact that if Connor has raised objections his seniority and likability would have almost certainly prompted the department to oblige him with RK900’s dismissal.

It is almost a shame that the exchange is intended to be anonymous, at least officially, and RK900 does not have a close enough relationship with any of his co-workers to have one of them conveniently leak the information on his behalf. An impeccable choice of gift might go some way to mitigating Connor’s intense disapproval of him.

One will not be found here, however.

And now there are less than twenty-four hours before the gift exchange occurs, several days before the holiday itself in order to maximise attendance given than many officers take leave over the holidays.

He returns to the DPD frustrated and still without any appropriate gifting options.  

Adding to Connor’s plant collection is not an achievable goal, which puts him back to square one with the present selection and, after continually observing Connor, he’s more determined than ever to get the other android a good gift since it’s clear that Connor places high value on participation in Christmas festivities. He spends a great deal of time discussing activities he has attempted and would like to attempt and had expressed considerably disappointment that so many human celebratory practises centred around food and were therefore unavailable to him; twice, he has debated with Lieutenant Anderson in an attempt to find a loophole in the ruling against mistletoe, and--

\--and realisation strikes RK900. Connor collects plants, yes, but above all else, Connor collects experiences.

His interest in the mistletoe had little to do with plant as an object, but the traditions associated with it and the experience of engaging in those traditions.

RK900 pauses, calculating. Connor wants to be kissed under mistletoe but, given his dislike, Connor would not want to be kissed under mistletoe by RK900 and it could be difficult to locate any more appropriate kissing partner for him and ensure they went through with it. Then again, Connor’s interest seems less in the act of kissing than in the experience of mistletoe and RK900’s research indicates one of the reasons the tradition has fallen out of favour in wider circles it because it often resulted in unwanted or uncomfortable kisses -- perhaps that experience will be as valid a gift to Connor as experiencing the mistletoe with a desired partner.

The steps play out as a detailed mission pre-construction, the possibility of success calculated with too wide a margin of error to be significant, but RK900 has a good feeling about the idea.

*

When he arrives at the precinct the next morning, his plans are fully in place. First though, he feels he ought to at least appear to be prioritising his work over the celebration.

It’s an attempt that doesn’t last long, however, because when he arrives at his desk, a box sits in front of his computer, waiting.

It’s cuboid and wrapped in shiny silver wrapping, more than a little reminiscent of cooking foil and a little uneven at the edges. There is no tag but ‘RK900’ is written across the paper in black marker.

RK900’s processors are a whir of pointless pre-constructions as he attempts to forecast what the package will contain.

He has never received a gift before.

References tell him the workplace gift exchanges are considered trivial by humans and expectations for gifting should be kept low given the budgetary constraints and potential lack of familiarity between gifter and giftee, so he is surprised by the thrum of excitement in his circuits.

He slides one finger under the tape, carefully prising it lose. His observations suggest tearing the wrapping is more traditional, but he finds the thought of doing so discomforting.

The shiny outer coating is unfolded, and his gift lies in front of him.

Anti-perspirant.

It is a holiday themed gift-set of three cans of a brand popular with young adult males.

RK900 is aware that some of his colleagues, particularly the older ones, struggle with a technical understanding of androids and the internet has encouraged a great number of bizarre rumours fabricating humanizing updates undergone by androids following the deviant uprising due to the strange believe of some individuals that androids were becoming human, as if that were the only way of being alive.

The fact remains, however, that RK900 is an android and androids do not perspire.

He examines the gift more closely. The packaging is largely recyclable, which pleases him, 

His research presents the option of regifting it, but RK900 does not have any human acquaintances who are close enough to engage in a gift exchange with and he thinks that if he were fortunate enough to obtain such an acquaintance he would be able to do better than regifting them what his examination has now revealed is giftset marketed for the previous holiday season.

He sets the box aside. Perhaps he was foolish to think that a gift exchange would be sufficient interaction to bond with his colleagues, but it is his understanding that the true point of the holiday is to successfully obtain gifts for all assigned recipients, he has seen several decorations with the aphorism that ‘it is better to give than receive’, and his priority is completing the process of giving Connor his gift and being able to determine if his mission has been successful.

He has planted the mistletoe in the evidence room corridor, an area frequented rarely enough that it shouldn’t be too hard to get Connor alone there.

After some consideration he had decided that the second part of Connor’s gift is best given in private, he does not want their human colleagues prying into his efforts and if Connor rejects the experience then RK900 would prefer his failure to occur without an audience.

Especially since he is technically breaking the rules of secret santa by providing Connor with half of his gift so directly.

He places himself in position and then spends Connor a message, rerouting it through several accounts to ensure that Connor doesn’t know the summons to the evidence room does not come from RK900.

Then he waits.

The sprig is small and when he’d attached it he’d chosen it’s position to minimise the chances of it being noticed by humans and taken down before he could complete his objective, but the anomaly should be immediate enough to an android’s sensors and, sure enough, Connor walks down the corridor until he reaches the mistletoe then halts, tipping his head back to conduct a deeper scan.

RK900 steps out of the alcove, joining Connor beneath the plan.

Mission step one: trigger the tradition is a success.  

Step two will be the greater challenge.

RK900 has never kissed anyone before but he has a wealth of data on typical human interactions and he has been preparing for this moment ever since he realised that no material gift would be sufficient for Connor.

He places one hand on Connor’s cheek, adjusting his head to the optimal angle, keeping all his movements slow and soft, giving Connor every opportunity to pull away but the older android remains frozen.

Most of his research indicates that humans usually close their eyes, but Connor’s remain wide and fixed on RK900, and he supposes that perhaps that detail is simply down to human’s limited optical focus rather than a vital part of the tradition.

Then all those speculations are cut off as their lips meet and RK900 focuses every bit of processing power he can spare on ensuring that the kiss is successful.

Connor’s lips are made of the same soft polymer as his own, although heated to a fractionally higher temperature, perhaps because he is not focusing his processors as RK900 is. In the returning press RK900 recognises the patterns of pressure provided by his own interactions programming, designed for optimal pleasure in humans but, as his sensors light up, apparently also effective on androids. 

He wishes to further the kiss, to part Connor’s lips, to engage his analysis software and sample Connor, curious as to the intimate variations between their design, but, while the mistletoe is a cultural prompt for the relaxing of interpersonal boundaries, a deeper kiss would still be improper.

But he does permit his fingers to stroke the side of Connor’s face, though the sensors there are far weaker than those in his mouth, reaching up to skim Connor’s hairline while the other hand comes up to trace the edge of his jaw.

The internal timer he had set after extensive calculations to balance socially acceptable timings against ensuring his gift to Connor is not insubstantial prompts him to end the kiss, but RK900 lets his lips linger for several selfishly curious moments longer before he finally withdraws.

Connor’s face is blank is a way that strongly suggests an error in his expression programming as RK900’s fingers drop from his cheeks.

Evidently, he has overwhelmed the older android.

RK900 had planned this encounter to the final detail but a strand of Connor’s hair has fallen further astray than usual and he indulges a final impulse to brush it back as he says, “Merry Christmas, Connor.”

He doesn’t want to impose, eager though he is to press a clearer reaction out of Connor, but, as he walks away, RK900 decides this had been a very satisfying exchange indeed.   
  



End file.
